Local Luminaries at the FLF 2014

It is coming up to that wonderful time of year again when we must all flock to Franschhoek to feast on bookish delights. The biggest and best festival yet say the organisers and looking at the line up in their press release below, I think they may be right.

The 2014 Franschhoek Literary Festival – which runs from 16-­18 May – will present 170 authors, journalists and subject specialists in more than 100 events over the three‐day period. We are looking forward to welcoming back many of our best writers, all with new books, including Damon Galgut (Arctic Summer), James Whyle (Walk), Justin Fox (Whoever Fears the Sea), Kgebetli Moele (Untitled: A Novel), Mark Gevisser (Lost and Found in Johannesburg), Richard de Nooy (The Unsaid), and Sarah Lotz (The Three).

Testifying to the vibrancy of the South African publishing landscape across genres, there is a lot of excitement at the number of new voices and faces that will appear this year, among them Charlie Human (Apocalypse Now Now), Constance Ngcaba (May I Have this Dance?), Dominique Botha (False River), Helen Walne (The Diving), Meg Vandermerwe (Zebra Crossing), Nadia Davids (An Imperfect Blessing), Penny Lorimer (Finders Weepers), Prince Mashele (The Fall of the ANC), Shelagh Foster (Your First Year of Work), and Sonwabiso Ngcowa (In Search of Happiness).

Coordinated by Finuala Dowling, poetry will be well represented. Adam Small, Adrian Different, Akwe Omusu, Arja Salafranca, Breyten Breytenbach, Douglas Reid Skinner, Gus Ferguson, Joan Hambidge, Khadija Heeger, Nathan Trantraal, Phyllis Muthoni (Nairobi), and Pieter Odendaal will all feature in discussions and performances, including a poetry slam on the evening of Friday 16th.

Adding considerably to the depth and breadth of the events are authors and subject experts such as Adam Habib, Andre Brink, Antony Altbeker, Arthur Attwell, Darrel Bristow-­Bovey, Finuala Dowling, Francis Wilson, Harry Garuba, Imraan Coovadia, Ivan Vladislavic, Marianne Thamm, Mark Heywood, Max du Preez, Mike Wills, Njabulo Ndebele, Rhoda Kadalie, Richard Calland, and Tim Noakes (the latter debating the high fat diet with Professor Lionel Opie, chaired by Dennis Davis, in what is sure to be a sell-out event).

The FLF will have the privilege this year of hosting Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Rev. Mpho Tutu, as well as other prominent public figures, including Alex Boraine, Lindiwe Mazibuko, and PJ Powers, and business people such as Michael Jordaan, Herman Mashaba, and Peter Vundla.

Finally, the organising committee is absolutely delighted that radio queen Redi Tlhabi will be joining us at the festival this year. Redi had to withdraw from last year’s festival, but will participate in a number of events at FLF 2014.

The full programme for FLF 2014 will be posted on www.flf.co.za by mid-­March. Tickets can be booked thereafter on webtickets.co.za. For more information on the Franschhoek Literary Festival, contact Ann Donald at publicity@flf.co.za.